Fans of growing artist Travis Denning recognize the “After a Few” singer is a directly up guitar slinger — however they probably don’t realize how lengthy he’s been that manner. Turns out the Georgia local has been rocking for the reason that before he changed into a teen, however he knew taking his expertise to the next level intended the use of the right gear.
“One day my dad and mom stated, ‘Look, we will buy you a guitar … a nicer, extra expert form of guitar,” Denning tells Sounds Like Nashville in element of an one-of-a-kind video series. But the provide got here with a seize. Still only a kid, his mother and father were concerned this tune aspect turned into handiest a segment, in order that they made him a deal.
“We’d like to get you a [Gibson] Les Paul,” Denning’s dad, “Diamond Dave” recalls telling his younger son. “To get a Les Paul, although, you’ve gotta examine [Led Zeppelin’s] ‘Stairway to Heaven’ from starting to stop, along with the solo.”
Denning says his mother and father demanded perfection — no ignored notes, no faking — and he took that as a vote of self belief. “Stairway to Heaven” is more than two times so long as an ordinary rock unmarried and notoriously tough to play, so it took the budding musician four and a 1/2 months of diligent practice earlier than he was equipped to perform it. Then sooner or later after church, he came downstairs from his room with what his dad describes as an strange look on his face.
“I got here down like … ‘Alright, I’m prepared. Come upstairs,'” Denning recollects. “But internal I was like ‘I’m approximately drop this s*** on them so difficult, and that they’re gonna have to shop for me a guitar!'” I’m so fired up.'”
Needless to say, Denning took one of the first steps on his “stairway to united states of america stardom” that day. He soon picked out a brand new (left passed) Les Paul conventional — one he still performs to at the moment — and the rest is records.
Earlier this week Denning and his dad stuffed Sounds Like Nashville in on their own family’s time in Utah, and Denning just launched a propulsive new track titled “Heartbeat of a Small Town.” The irresistible romance of his present day single, “After a Few,” has cracked united states of america radio’s Top forty, and he’s on the street via the cease of the year with Riley Green at the Get That Man a Beer Tour.